- the act of indulging or state of being indulgent
- a pleasure, habit, etc, indulged in; extravagance
- liberal or tolerant treatment
- something granted as a favour or privilege
- a remission of the temporal punishment for sin after its guilt has been forgiven
- Also called: Declaration of Indulgence a royal grant during the reigns of Charles II and James II of England giving Nonconformists and Roman Catholics a measure of religious freedom
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
in•dul•gence /ɪnˈdʌldʒəns/USA pronunciation
n.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- the act or practice of indulging:[uncountable]Too much indulgence can spoil your children.
- something indulged in:[countable]Rich desserts are an indulgence.
- Religion understanding;
tolerance;
forgiveness:[uncountable]The pilot asked for the passengers' indulgence during the delay.
in•dul•gence
(in dul′jəns),USA pronunciation n., v., -genced, -genc•ing.
n.
v.t.
n.
- the act or practice of indulging;
gratification of desire. - the state of being indulgent.
- indulgent allowance or tolerance.
- a catering to someone's mood or whim;
humoring:The sick man demanded indulgence as his due. - something indulged in:Her favorite indulgence was candy.
- Religion[Rom. Cath. Ch.]a partial remission of the temporal punishment, esp. purgatorial atonement, that is still due for a sin or sins after absolution. Cf. plenary indulgence.
- Religion[Eng. and Scot. Hist.](in the reigns of Charles II and James II) a grant by the king to Protestant dissenters and Roman Catholics freeing them from certain penalties imposed, by legislation, because of their religion.
- Business[Com.]an extension, through favor, of time for payment or performance.
v.t.
- Religion[Rom. Cath. Ch.]to provide with an indulgence:an indulgenced pilgrimage to Rome.
- Latin indulgentia. See indulge, -ence
- Middle English 1325–75
- 3. sufferance, forbearance, allowance.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
indulgence /ɪnˈdʌldʒəns/ n
'indulgence' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
Babism
- binge
- coddle
- debauch
- debauchee
- dissipation
- forbidden fruit
- free-living
- good
- gracious
- grant
- habit-forming
- hedonism
- indulgent
- lech
- luxury
- orgy
- pamper
- pardon
- plenary
- sensuality
- sober
- tolerate
- vice
- vinous
- voluptuous
- woolgathering
- abstinence
- bestiality
- courtesy
- debauched
- debauchery
- decadence
- delicacy
- dolce vita
- drink
- drunkard
- effeminate
- epicurean
- Epicureanism
- excess
- excuse
- fault
- fondle
- forbearance
- frivolity
- immoral
- indulgency
- intemperance
- intemperate